@@johnny7840 comparing manual labor and the military doesn't make much sense, tough is tough, he wasn't literally serious when he said toughest men on the planet, its an exaggeration. there are plenty of very tough people everywhere
I raised six vey happy kids on a miners pay ! Crawling around in all that mud and rock , working my ass off , never bothered me much , because my family always seemed happy !!! It’s been 25 years now and my baby is 17 , and me and mom are now very proud grand parents of six grand kids kids , and I’m sure more is coming’ ! I myself am a fourth generation miner ,and thank the lord everyday for what he has given to my family !!! So yes , in the name of God , bless our nations miners !
I agree. An honest hard day’s work. It is a dying industry, but I wish miners would be able to realize technology is improving and that getting people out of coal mines should save lives and still provide jobs.
Well he could have found any other job he just did it because he feels good doing what his dad and grandpa did. They too scared to find something new. Nobody really uses coal anymore.
@@iRunfastXC Yeah, but the technology is not getting cheaper like renewable energy is. Eventually renewable energy will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuels.
@@RigmorTalonbeard "Too scared'?? Are you kidding me? LISTEN to him/them, it not only pays well they do it because it's interesting and challenging, they'd be bored to sleep in most jobs. There's a LOT of good aspects (both my brothers did it for a few yrs in their youth for adventure) it's vastly more stimulating than most jobs and you may find dinosaur bones and footprints, etc.
All coal miners seem to have the same work ethic, my grandad was a coal coal miner here in the UK for 42 years until they shut the last coal mine down in 2004. It’s an absolute shame, these guys are the last of the hard, honest and reliable workers. Hats off to you.
@Chet MugginsDissing people that work and provide your comforts is just bad manners, matey. I understand you're just a troll but people are people and until that industry is fully made automatic we need 'em and its always better to show some appreciation for their efforts.
@@Gingerbred_Hed Coal mining is an industry that requires less people than it used to. You saw all those fancy machines they were using, that used to be men with hammers and hydraulic tools. Coal is being replaced by cheaper green energy and natural gas and the coal miner is being replaced with machines. The rich coal barons know that it is cheaper to use a machine than a hard working man any day. Don't confuse friends of the coal industry with friends of coal miners. Miners are good stand up people, coal is dirty money.
@@Gingerbred_Hed If there isn't enough demand, they just can't keep paying people when they are losing their profits. Nobodies taking anyones jobs, but people are losing jobs. If people don't want to buy coal they don't have to, that is Capitalism at work. If we were to rely only on coal, we'd be exactly like Venezuela with Oil.
@Random Commenter its only capitalism that makes it so. Without the various price and profit incentives of global neoliberalism the coal mines would be running at peak capacity
I see dedication and heart in those guys. Very few trades and heavy industries have jobs like what these guys are describing. A special breed. Love and respect
Hats off to these guys, I like the remark he makes around the 3:00 mark. Not only does he do his job, he is proud of it and shows a passion for it, not many people are like that. They're just people working an honest work to support their families while working in such dangerous conditions, bravery and excellent work ethic at its best. May God look after them.
I have a lot of respect for your profession. Thank you for your sacrifices and courage and dedication in providing for not only your family but also for this country. God bless you and protect you.
@@brucedutton9361 Planet is gonna be screwed though because human takes resources in massive scale. Thats just nature getting rid of the vermins :P Since rich people dont make jobs for everyone and just ruins humans with sociologists who wanna exploit people. Its just part of nature to get rid of people
I worked in the coal mining industry for over 20yrs. and provided a great living for my family. Coal will always have a special place in my family's heart! Just another day at the office! ~Kentucky, 🧤⛏️..(🤝)
I feel for you, coal mine surveyor in South Africa. It's hard and thankless work. But my prayers are with you. Maybe one day people will appreciate us and our sacrifices.
I retired from coal mining after over 40 years. I had started out in copper and Uranium for a few years prior but coal was what carried me through over half my life. As it did for many others and for many that seen multiple generation working in coal . It provided good paying jobs with good benefits for many. Not only was it beneficial for those who worked in coal but also the economy. Many states benefited from the taxes paid by the mining companies. My hats off to any miner surface or underground working in one of the most dangerous fields. Stay safe and stay strong for some of the finest people I've ever known and worked with were coal miners. 💯👍👍👍👍👍😎
I salute these miners as a UK coal miner myself for 38 years i don't think i could put up with that type of mining from Frank Nottinghamshire UK thanks for letting me see your video 3/1/2020
I absolute love the coal miner life of being handed down generation and generation... nothing but respect for every man woman who steps foot in the mountain!
I’ve always considered mining the hardest job in the world. Sincerely I cannot imagine something worst, years and years doing something so physically wearing, the cold, the darkness, your lungs affected by dust, your ears damaged by explosions, joints killing you. Whenever I wanna complain about my job I remember there are coal miners in this word going way worst. It doesn’t stop me complaining, hahaha but at least that thought gives me perspective.
The miners of today are going to get black lung faster than old-time miners. Google "dr brandon crum". I just hope anyone going into this industry does a little resarch before it's too late, black lung today is alarming, it hits miners younger than ever before and coal industry is taking it's usual profit-first workers last stance.
Yeah if these guys got offered jobs with a clean energy resource that pays them just as well and offers the same benefits I doubt they would care, it's about putting food on your family's table.
Coal causes very little damage to the world, 98% of climate change is caused by the sun and putting out more co2 will bring us back to jurassic levels of oxygen
I live in Ohio on the Ohio WV border. when i was teenager all I wanted to do was work in the mine. I couldn't get into the coal mining classes in Ohio because they were stacked against me. If you did not know some one you did not get in. Same as the mining jobs. so I went to school in WV and scored highest in my class. After our graduation the instructor informed me that I could work in any mine in WV that i wanted to that was hiring. I had an in with my friends father who was a boss at one of the best mines in the valley. Mean time I was working in the entertainment industry and playing music in bands. My high school friend got right into Ohio mining classes and walked right into a good job. unfortunately he made a mistake and got caught between a car and the rib and it tore his leg off. a few weeks later i ran into my friends father in the bar. He said, you are in. Come down Monday morning. They want you. they looked at your test scores. I declined. Been in the entertainment business every since. My friends Fathers oldest son lost his life in that mine a few years later.
God bless them. My great grandfather and grandfather came from Scotland to work the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Talk about a a hard life, hard job, dirty job, bleak existence, with everything you own including your house and food bought and owned by the company and it's store, and paid for with company script !!! I'm so grateful to them, and thankful that I didn't have to work the mines. I learned electricity and instead worked worked underground with the subway. That's a step up, right? But have their work ethic, of which I am not only grateful but proud.
Hope all you guys are still working. I worked as battery tech for Enersys in Alabama coal mines both soft and deep hard coal mines. I repaired scoop and shuttle car batteries and chargers most of the time underground 800-2000' down. One mine angled steeply downward for 2 miles with 4-5' roof. About half the miners have been laid off . I have also worked on electric mantrips, helped put cutter wheel on a miner, etc. You are right about a special breed to work in mines, everyone watches the other miner's back.
To look out mtn Man from Alabama.your final sentence caught my eye and touched my soul,one might say. Yes we all looked out for each other.One of my co worker s,let us say as a form of understatement,that we di not always see eye to eye, one day when ha e rather conciliator and friendly dinner hole conversation,Bobby asked me,"you would help out a fellow miners in danger wouldn't you?"I answered,Yes, absolutely I would!lmaybe aweek later,Bobby,up at the business end of aFletcher,twin boom roof bolting machine,with aaroof holding hydraulic de I e that strongly resembled a station automobile lift.He had his back to a"slip" 16 ft. Across one solid piece,and at least 18 inches across,verically.Military and mining training kicked in as I watch Ed what Bobby could not see.It was slowly moving , something out of a horror movie,toward the back of his bu like neck.Bob y,JUMP,I yelled,with a sweeping hand gestures,forward ! the thing rotatd 180 degrees,in one pc. Barely brushing his clothing like the touch of death by decapitation,Bob was unharmed,he as Frank our boss pointed out,YOU say he saved your life and I showed with actions that I mean t what I said that we should always look out for each other.
Think bout men in other countries wer safety isn't exactly the priority. They lose a lot of guys every yr. A big one happened in China not long ago with lik 60 trapped n Mexico that trapped 60 70 dudes. They drilled a pipe to find em. Then tubed em out. Shits dangerous. I can't remember fatalities or trapped. Google em. It's quite common
wow this brought tears to my eyes as I am teaching my kids about the industrial revolution and the coal mine workers during victorian era. God bless you guys!
I am a union pipeliner as a labor and still give a big applause to these men because they bust their ass everyday to put food on the table for their kids and family
A nice video about coalmining. Good,honest,hardworking men..!My dad and granddad were coalminers too...here in the Netherlands, in the Limburg province down south. Our government closed down our mines back in 1975..I was just a little kid then. Lots of guys lost their lives..or got injuries...apart from that...the „silicose“ (Black lung)..was a problem. But our mines went deep...as far as 900 meters down in the earth..! Coalmining was a hard live....dust...heath...and hard work. Offcourse the pay was good. After they closed down our mines our region had 20 years of bad economics...because everything was focused on Coalmining. A coalminer can’t work in a carfactory! Comradery was the best part of the job...and indeed the worst part was the danger. I salut those coalminers there...keep up the good work guys! Glück auf!!
Interesting comment. I worked in the coal industry my entire career, both underground and surface mining. I came to learn that surface coal miners would NEVER work underground and Underground miners could never understand why anyone would want to work on the surface. I've been in lead mines in Missouri and there is no comparison between the two... other than the word "underground" applies.
Richard Mourdock if you’re referring to the Doe Run mines in Missouri, those don’t really speak to the true nature of hardrock mines imo. Those mines up there are honestly just big ass underground quarries with how wide those drifts are, and with how high their back is.
@@johnnyd7420 Those might be the ones I recall. There were huge diesel trucks operating in them and your terms of "underground quarries" is appropriate. I remember we were told when they drove one of thevertical shafts to put the equipment below ground, the planning called for cutting everything apart to get it down the shaft... only to discover when they thought the shaft was finished, they hadn't considered the rubber tires so they "notched each side of the shaft to get them below ground. I have been in undergound coal mines where the seam thickness was eleven or twelve feet, and those seemed like caverns compared to the many mines I worked in. I was always grateful to stand to the full height of my 5/ 10".
Richard Mourdock the mine im at runs all development drifts 16’x16’, but our production kinda ballrooms out once we hit the ore (up to 20’-24’ wide by about 21’ tall, or as small as 12’x12’, depending on how wide and tall engineering/geology dictates) since we mine random room and pillar. All of the equipment we run is low profile to a degree. I think the 9 yard muckers we have are about 11-12 feet tall iirc. Still considerably larger than coal. Much respect to you man, I would not be a fan of coal whatsoever. Hats off to you.
@@johnnyd7420 Respect right back to you John. Geology gave me a great career and lots of time underground. The only one that really, really bothered me was when I showed up once for a mine inspection in Southern West Virginia and along with the cap lamp they handed me knee and elbow pads. In Alabama a few times it was so "wet" water came in over the top of my nearly knee high boots.. that didn't bother me, but I wasn't going to go crawling on my belly like a reptile. Something satisfying about "creating" wealth in the economy by bringing raw materials to the surface in energy or metals.
@Sut Nack do you know any coal miners? Are you a miner? have you ever been underground for 12 hours a day for 2 weeks straight? Come home and your whole Body hurts? I work in the mines as a heavy equipment mechanic, And I can tell you that from experience, that I could not do what those guys do everyday. You see a lot of older miners in this trade, few young lads, because they don’t want to do the work. One of my family members is a medical practitioner, who sees a lot of miners and some are beat. Coal mines are some of the most dangerous mines in the world as coal is a hydrocarbon. Sure, technology has advanced to make their job easier, but it’s the same dam old job of mining coal my friend, its not easy. My motion of respect towards these gentlemen is based of respect, I am not just some keyboard warrior who sits behind the screen, I’ll tell you how it is. I know a few coal miners, even some who are retired. They are some of the hardest working people I know and have ever met, big family men, who broke their backs providing for those they love. I dam well hope one day to reach their tenacity and selflessness. I don’t know you, and I ain’t going to sit here and argue because it’s really not worth my time. In the future, refrain from insensitive replies if you are not educated on the subject. Cheers,
The prosperity and comfort of most modern nations has coal miners to thank. North America’s first railroad and first commercial coal mines are just a short walk from my mailbox (have found old mining equipment scraps on my land) and were used to power the industry of the 13 colonies, provide coke for manufacturing of weapons and flint/gunpowder for the Revolutionary War, were the primary source of coal & coke for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and for many decades heated the homes of the north east. Hundreds lost their lives in numerous explosions and accidents, their dangerous & burdensome work powered the industry that enabled the birth the United States.
I have worked in coal that low. ran a double boom fletcher roof bolting machine like the one shown in video. working on your knees for 8 or 10 hours takes a toll on them. went into surgery at 8 am came out of surgery 12 noon with both knees replaced. put me out of coal mining at an early age. i guess you could say 33 years was long enough.
After I graduated from high school in 1977 I moved to Georgia and started work with a company that installed highlines. 500 kv towers. If I had it all to do over I would have joined the military. Just like the coal mining the military couldn’t have been any tougher. I suppose to each his own.
i live in Preston county in North central West Virginia near Morgantown, home of WVU and the Mountaineers. Im a 5th generation underground coal miner, but the last 15 year went from 10 mines in the area to maybe 4 spread over a large distance, im 31 and got injured a fw years ago but my dad still works at a mine called 4 West near Mount Morris PA which is about 20 minutes north of Morgantown, i have and my dad has worked with guys that travel up here from southern WV just to do what theyve always done , and thats be an underground coal miner, hopefully it will pick up again, I have about 5 years experience because honestly after high school i wanted to do something else, i got to my journeyman electrician license and went to some college but finally ended up underground until i got hurt. I can run scoop on the section and outby, bolt a little and run buggy or shuttle car, i have even had my own belt lines to care for, th only thing i cant do it run the miner, i have a little but not enough to do anything with it lol..growing up here i remember when i was 10 around 96 there were about 8 maybe 10 small mines running coal just in Preston county alone, oer the next 10 years went to 2 now theres none, I hae some great memories going to the mines when i was a kid, with my dad and even my pap, i have a few pictures i found of me riding in the loader, loading coal trucks with my pap. Its just strange growing up through all that to now where its basically gone, dad drives an hour and 25 or 30 minutes to work and the last mine i was at was 2 hours one way, 9 hour shifts, 6 days a week
So, are you opposed to technology or the fact that coal is being pushed out by politicians sometimes regardless of technology? I feel like it is a little if both. Environmentalists need to realize people grew up in coal mines and start from there when transitioning people rather than start with green is the way to go, blah, blah, blah.
I remember seeing a coal truck in Southern Ohio in the 1990s. I knew of Ohio coal mining because both maternal grandparents were from Southern Ohio. I came across people who thought that coal mining was a thing of the past in Ohio. That was in the 1990s. When I saw the coal truck in Ohio, I was astonished. This video made me more so. When my grandparents were children, Ohio had a lot more coal mining. M grandpa told me a little about it.
the camera guy spent a tiny fraction under those conditions relative to the miners, and conditions were probably at the best for the film crew to decide to do that. Coal miners have to swallow their heart every day, and decide if it is worth it when conditions are problematic. or not feed their families
I’ve worked in the manufacturing industry for four years so I know what you mean that you have to want to be there. But working underground in confined spaces like that. That’s a whole different breed of man! Respect! 👍
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.” ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
I’ve got a grandson who worked in the coal mines here in pa. He loved his job and did very well until that stinkin Obama took the coal jobs away . Now he lives in Kentucky still doing what he loves thanks to president Trump. I also love coal and the wonderful heat it gives you in winter. God bless the miners and the dangerous work they do.
May God bless these courageous and humble men and may He grant them provisions and security evermore. amen Thank you for running this. I work at a coal burning power plant in southern Illinois, but our coal comes from open pit mines in Wyoming because it is low sulfur coal. A colleague of our used to work in an Illinois underground coal mine and I wondered what it looked like way down there so I looked this up. I really appreciate seeing and hearing from the people who keep our country powered up with me. Thanks much
I'm not going to lie, watching videos like these where I can see people working at steel mills and coal mines, makes me want to work there. I know pay is so-so for the type of work you have to do and the risks involved but it's cool to be around all that heavy machinery, deep inside the earth
I live near this place and there was 2 rosebud mines in the town next to the town I live in Amsterdam Ohio, which was a coal mining town that prospered in the 20’s-60’s and then the mine shut down and this town went from around 1,000 people to now 400 the coal mining business not only creates jobs but creates towns and since the coal mines are dying towns are dying too
I had an ACL reconstructive surgery and if I had to crawl on my knees everyday I'd wanna blow my brains out... nothing but respect to these real Americans
Must be so odd to go from coal mining to normal everyday life . . . it's such a dichotomy and a little bit poetic that a job that's so confining can provide so much freedom
I have nothing but absolute respect for all these hard workers who give it their all every single day!. And I know that I couldn't do this work so let's all show some love and appreciation for all who do!. 🙏🙏🍻
I'm not a miner but I've been in an old fireclay mine that had about a 4ft roof, its very hard on your body being in cramped conditions for any length of time let alone working in them all day, you'd need to be pretty tough to last long at that.
I have a question you may be able to answer. Is there a reason the form factor of the mine is designed with such a low ceiling? I was shocked to see the decline, the vehicles, and the drifts they were working in. Everything was "flat"
@@abandoned-mines-novascotia Coal is often in quite a narrow seam, a foot or two thick, it wouldn't be economically viable to remove more material than is absolutely necessary to get at the coal.
My dad ran the shack at Peabody No 9 South where my grandpa was the boss. They called him Budshack. My uncle was a boss at Buckingham Coal's mine in Glouster. My house is built on recreation land.
Not all heroes wear a cape...... to all the women out there who think men have a charmed life and live on 'Easy Street' - fancy a slice of that? No, I didn't think so. If you don't get killed you'll probably get injured and/ or ill in the long term. My hat goes off to all these unsung heroes who quietly get on with keeping the lights burning......👏👏👏
Coal miners are a special breed of men . Hard work they choose to do . Its dangerous and takes its toll on their bodies over time . I was born and raised a coal miners child and so very proud of my dad for all the sacrifices he made for our family just like the men in this video. God Bless You All and the mighty wings of God protect you and your precious family's.
@@geneva760 God will come to dinner if you in invite his presence . God is and always has been the Great I Am he want come to dinner uninvited. God loves you one day in your life you will find comfort in the love of God !
@@thebrantfordrailfan it's a choose each miner makes. The good lord don't make people wrk in the mines . Yes it's hard my family has suffered the health affects but by choose. My dad is 86 with blk lung bad back but retired with good health care and dosen't regret a day of his wrk. If you desire to blame God that's your right. God spared members of my family from death under ground and I thank God for his love care . I wish the best for you and your family
These people are the definition of hard workers. This work environment is extremely dangerous, hazardous and tough. Massive respect to all miners, thank you all!
I retired from under ground mining after 27 years, saw several fatalities and hundreds of bad injuries, toughest men on the planet
What about soldiers?
Not tougher than seals.
John Irons Jr did I not say soldiers?
@@jacobbos8275 was I replying to you?
@@johnny7840 comparing manual labor and the military doesn't make much sense, tough is tough, he wasn't literally serious when he said toughest men on the planet, its an exaggeration. there are plenty of very tough people everywhere
I raised six vey happy kids on a miners pay ! Crawling around in all that mud and rock , working my ass off , never bothered me much , because my family always seemed happy !!! It’s been 25 years now and my baby is 17 , and me and mom are now very proud grand parents of six grand kids kids , and I’m sure more is coming’ ! I myself am a fourth generation miner ,and thank the lord everyday for what he has given to my family !!! So yes , in the name of God , bless our nations miners !
Have your kids followed in your footsteps? And by the way, enjoy and cherish your retirement.
HA - there is no god IDIOT.
I agree. An honest hard day’s work. It is a dying industry, but I wish miners would be able to realize technology is improving and that getting people out of coal mines should save lives and still provide jobs.
@@geneva760 everyone has different opinions
AMEN
This man here is a honest hard worker who is doing what he has to do to put food on his table.
Well he could have found any other job he just did it because he feels good doing what his dad and grandpa did. They too scared to find something new. Nobody really uses coal anymore.
Bubbles The Shitrocker your heated cause these guys definitely got more balls than you
@@RigmorTalonbeard Fossil fuels still produce over 60% of Americas energy. You’re wrong.
@@iRunfastXC Yeah, but the technology is not getting cheaper like renewable energy is. Eventually renewable energy will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuels.
@@RigmorTalonbeard "Too scared'?? Are you kidding me? LISTEN to him/them, it not only pays well they do it because it's interesting and challenging, they'd be bored to sleep in most jobs. There's a LOT of good aspects (both my brothers did it for a few yrs in their youth for adventure) it's vastly more stimulating than most jobs and you may find dinosaur bones and footprints, etc.
I have strait respect for those guys. Good, honest, hard working men who put their families before themselves.
All coal miners seem to have the same work ethic, my grandad was a coal coal miner here in the UK for 42 years until they shut the last coal mine down in 2004. It’s an absolute shame, these guys are the last of the hard, honest and reliable workers. Hats off to you.
@Chet Muggins Not really. There is some intelligence in producing more coal than another worker or avoiding deadly situations.
@Chet MugginsDissing people that work and provide your comforts is just bad manners, matey. I understand you're just a troll but people are people and until that industry is fully made automatic we need 'em and its always better to show some appreciation for their efforts.
Loggers are damn hard workers. Builders are too.
they should take that work ethic elsewhere, not like only coal mining needs work ethic
@@easyenetwork2023 nah, but coal morons think its a worthwhile effort.
I hate it for these guys man. I hope they can adjust in other industries so that work ethic doesnt go to waste. Hard working is an understatement
Sam Futch they are lucky enough. check out coal Indian coal mining
Or just keep coal mining. Why take their jobs?
@@Gingerbred_Hed Coal mining is an industry that requires less people than it used to. You saw all those fancy machines they were using, that used to be men with hammers and hydraulic tools. Coal is being replaced by cheaper green energy and natural gas and the coal miner is being replaced with machines. The rich coal barons know that it is cheaper to use a machine than a hard working man any day. Don't confuse friends of the coal industry with friends of coal miners. Miners are good stand up people, coal is dirty money.
@@Gingerbred_Hed If there isn't enough demand, they just can't keep paying people when they are losing their profits. Nobodies taking anyones jobs, but people are losing jobs. If people don't want to buy coal they don't have to, that is Capitalism at work. If we were to rely only on coal, we'd be exactly like Venezuela with Oil.
@Random Commenter its only capitalism that makes it so. Without the various price and profit incentives of global neoliberalism the coal mines would be running at peak capacity
I see dedication and heart in those guys. Very few trades and heavy industries have jobs like what these guys are describing. A special breed. Love and respect
my grandad did this for 30 years....I had no fucking Idea, what a man he was
Underground limestone miner here not even close to the world you guys work in! Much respect my brothers
Hats off to these guys, I like the remark he makes around the 3:00 mark. Not only does he do his job, he is proud of it and shows a passion for it, not many people are like that. They're just people working an honest work to support their families while working in such dangerous conditions, bravery and excellent work ethic at its best. May God look after them.
I have a lot of respect for your profession. Thank you for your sacrifices and courage and dedication in providing for not only your family but also for this country. God bless you and protect you.
The same BULLSHIT god that protects the weak and innocent against the evil in this world?
I build and weld wing conveyor pulleys for these guys and it's really cool seeing where my finished product goes
2:17 dude got a diamond pick and shovel from minecraft
Legit looks like it
Dude looks like he lives in that mine
Go way gamer.
Yeah, us ohioans have diamonds
That's an iron pickaxe and that's a diamond shovel
I have such respect for these guys. I don't think I could ever do what they do. Whatever they pay them, it should be more.
Bruce Dutton Coal is best
Bruce Dutton Why? Renewable energy is green. Coal is lovely
Bruce Dutton The planet will fix itself. Climate change is way over hyped
@@brucedutton9361 I'm all for renewable energy, but honestly, the way things are going we are going to need all the energy we can get
@@brucedutton9361 Planet is gonna be screwed though because human takes resources in massive scale. Thats just nature getting rid of the vermins :P Since rich people dont make jobs for everyone and just ruins humans with sociologists who wanna exploit people. Its just part of nature to get rid of people
I worked in the coal mining industry for over 20yrs. and provided a great living for my family. Coal will always have a special place in my family's heart! Just another day at the office! ~Kentucky, 🧤⛏️..(🤝)
I feel for you, coal mine surveyor in South Africa. It's hard and thankless work. But my prayers are with you. Maybe one day people will appreciate us and our sacrifices.
I'm sorry 😞
God bless those guys
Will Burkhart how would you know
@J M
Why the hate directed at the coal miners.
@@craigklein2822 coal miners are the best
I retired from coal mining after over 40 years. I had started out in copper and Uranium for a few years prior but coal was what carried me through over half my life. As it did for many others and for many that seen multiple generation working in coal . It provided good paying jobs with good benefits for many. Not only was it beneficial for those who worked in coal but also the economy. Many states benefited from the taxes paid by the mining companies. My hats off to any miner surface or underground working in one of the most dangerous fields. Stay safe and stay strong for some of the finest people I've ever known and worked with were coal miners. 💯👍👍👍👍👍😎
These guys are underground heroes. Great working people; real Americans
Ong
I salute these miners as a UK coal miner myself for 38 years i don't think i could put up with that type of mining from Frank Nottinghamshire UK thanks for letting me see your video 3/1/2020
I would like to see a longer documentary, featuring all these guys and their story!
Awesome video & thanks to the hard work of these fine folk.
how else do you light a country with your bare hands. thank you to all coal miners for keeping our lights and heat on
Well, there is nuclear power
Thanks for all you miner's all over the world I pray that God will bless all
I absolute love the coal miner life of being handed down generation and generation... nothing but respect for every man woman who steps foot in the mountain!
I’ve always considered mining the hardest job in the world. Sincerely I cannot imagine something worst, years and years doing something so physically wearing, the cold, the darkness, your lungs affected by dust, your ears damaged by explosions, joints killing you. Whenever I wanna complain about my job I remember there are coal miners in this word going way worst. It doesn’t stop me complaining, hahaha but at least that thought gives me perspective.
Hardest job in the world is having a fat nagging wife
My hats off to all these Boys in this Industry! I lost my Great Grandpa in Westray Mine.. stay safe Boys!
And Get Coal!!🇨🇦💪🏻
The miners of today are going to get black lung faster than old-time miners. Google "dr brandon crum". I just hope anyone going into this industry does a little resarch before it's too late, black lung today is alarming, it hits miners younger than ever before and coal industry is taking it's usual profit-first workers last stance.
Respect those who go beyond to survive, we can learn alot from these men...i salute you 🇺🇸
_Alot_ is a town in India. _A lot_ is more than one of something.
This is unbelievable. I mean its probably THE MOST DIFFICULT JOB EVER. these miners r SUPER HEROS
HATS OFF TO THEM!!! a lot of RESPECT for them
Coal is on its way out due to other options for energy and the damage it causes
To the ecosystem. Hope another industry can develop for these workers
Yeah if these guys got offered jobs with a clean energy resource that pays them just as well and offers the same benefits I doubt they would care, it's about putting food on your family's table.
Coal causes very little damage to the world, 98% of climate change is caused by the sun and putting out more co2 will bring us back to jurassic levels of oxygen
Still not cheap enough to overtake coal or replace it, try again in 10 years
We appreciate what you do, boys. I’m sure it’s not easy but hard men like you are what we need
I live in Ohio on the Ohio WV border. when i was teenager all I wanted to do was work in the mine. I couldn't get into the coal mining classes in Ohio because they were stacked against me. If you did not know some one you did not get in. Same as the mining jobs. so I went to school in WV and scored highest in my class. After our graduation the instructor informed me that I could work in any mine in WV that i wanted to that was hiring. I had an in with my friends father who was a boss at one of the best mines in the valley. Mean time I was working in the entertainment industry and playing music in bands. My high school friend got right into Ohio mining classes and walked right into a good job. unfortunately he made a mistake and got caught between a car and the rib and it tore his leg off. a few weeks later i ran into my friends father in the bar. He said, you are in. Come down Monday morning. They want you. they looked at your test scores. I declined. Been in the entertainment business every since. My friends Fathers oldest son lost his life in that mine a few years later.
U close to us in marietta.?
Good choice. I respect coal mining, but sometimes a man has got to know his limitations.
what bands do you play in? i'm from ohio
Hard working honest American's deserve respect, coal miners deserve the utmost respect for what they do.
Coal mining is an honorable profession
That is dying.
God bless them. My great grandfather and grandfather came from Scotland to work the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Talk about a a hard life, hard job, dirty job, bleak existence, with everything you own including your house and food bought and owned by the company and it's store, and paid for with company script !!! I'm so grateful to them, and thankful that I didn't have to work the mines. I learned electricity and instead worked worked underground with the subway. That's a step up, right? But have their work ethic, of which I am not only grateful but proud.
Those people are amazing!
Love of God, love of family and love of country😍🇺🇲
Hope all you guys are still working. I worked as battery tech for Enersys in Alabama coal mines both soft and deep hard coal mines. I repaired scoop and shuttle car batteries and chargers most of the time underground 800-2000' down. One mine angled steeply downward for 2 miles with 4-5' roof.
About half the miners have been laid off . I have also worked on electric mantrips, helped put cutter wheel on a miner, etc. You are right about a special breed to work in mines, everyone watches the other miner's back.
To look out mtn Man from Alabama.your final sentence caught my eye and touched my soul,one might say. Yes we all looked out for each other.One of my co worker s,let us say as a form of understatement,that we di not always see eye to eye, one day when ha e rather conciliator and friendly dinner hole conversation,Bobby asked me,"you would help out a fellow miners in danger wouldn't you?"I answered,Yes, absolutely I would!lmaybe aweek later,Bobby,up at the business end of aFletcher,twin boom roof bolting machine,with aaroof holding hydraulic de I e that strongly resembled a station automobile lift.He had his back to a"slip" 16 ft. Across one solid piece,and at least 18 inches across,verically.Military and mining training kicked in as I watch Ed what Bobby could not see.It was slowly moving , something out of a horror movie,toward the back of his bu like neck.Bob y,JUMP,I yelled,with a sweeping hand gestures,forward ! the thing rotatd 180 degrees,in one pc. Barely brushing his clothing like the touch of death by decapitation,Bob was unharmed,he as Frank our boss pointed out,YOU say he saved your life and I showed with actions that I mean t what I said that we should always look out for each other.
I just keep thinking what if that void collapses.
They become flat as paper. Literally.
, how many ppl drive cars, how many ppl mine coal, whats the death rate of both?
@Bill Williams there's also vastly more people on roads then in mines. Not really an accurate comparison.
Roof bolts
Think bout men in other countries wer safety isn't exactly the priority. They lose a lot of guys every yr. A big one happened in China not long ago with lik 60 trapped n Mexico that trapped 60 70 dudes. They drilled a pipe to find em. Then tubed em out. Shits dangerous. I can't remember fatalities or trapped. Google em. It's quite common
If they had efficiency v on there pick axes if would make the job a whole lot easier
fortune III would be better
True they would be rich
TRUTH
This mine and others are as modern and efficient as can be.
Those low ceilings make me clausterphobic. I would just be imagining that roof collapsing the whole time.
Same
That mine is around 4 foot high which is ok for mining try working in 30 inch high coal which i have until i could find a job in higher coal.
Good video,thanks for all you do,roof bolter man for years
wow this brought tears to my eyes as I am teaching my kids about the industrial revolution and the coal mine workers during victorian era. God bless you guys!
It seems that a lot of superstition is associated with coal and this thing you call "god" --- HA.
Backbone of America right here. God bless y'all
Not anymore.
Best regards from a german coal miner which now enjoy his pension. I worked with my heart and soul in the coal mine.
Real men doing hard work. America needs more of these guys
I am a union pipeliner as a labor and still give a big applause to these men because they bust their ass everyday to put food on the table for their kids and family
A nice video about coalmining. Good,honest,hardworking men..!My dad and granddad were coalminers too...here in the Netherlands, in the Limburg province down south. Our government closed down our mines back in 1975..I was just a little kid then. Lots of guys lost their lives..or got injuries...apart from that...the „silicose“ (Black lung)..was a problem. But our mines went deep...as far as 900 meters down in the earth..! Coalmining was a hard live....dust...heath...and hard work. Offcourse the pay was good. After they closed down our mines our region had 20 years of bad economics...because everything was focused on Coalmining.
A coalminer can’t work in a carfactory! Comradery was the best part of the job...and indeed the worst part was the danger. I salut those coalminers there...keep up the good work guys! Glück auf!!
God Bless the cole mining families.
You are appreciated!
You are essential!
There is no god - just stupid people that believe in it.
@@geneva760 Woah, take it down a notch there buddy
Those men braver than me,I got the shakes just watching these hard working men!,There is NO WAY I could do this!.
My uncle died working in a mine up their. God bless these guys.
only in ohio 💀
Respect that they're doing an incredibly dangerous job for their family
I work in a lead mine in Missouri but I don't think I could work in a coal mine.
Interesting comment. I worked in the coal industry my entire career, both underground and surface mining. I came to learn that surface coal miners would NEVER work underground and Underground miners could never understand why anyone would want to work on the surface. I've been in lead mines in Missouri and there is no comparison between the two... other than the word "underground" applies.
Richard Mourdock if you’re referring to the Doe Run mines in Missouri, those don’t really speak to the true nature of hardrock mines imo. Those mines up there are honestly just big ass underground quarries with how wide those drifts are, and with how high their back is.
@@johnnyd7420 Those might be the ones I recall. There were huge diesel trucks operating in them and your terms of "underground quarries" is appropriate. I remember we were told when they drove one of thevertical shafts to put the equipment below ground, the planning called for cutting everything apart to get it down the shaft... only to discover when they thought the shaft was finished, they hadn't considered the rubber tires so they "notched each side of the shaft to get them below ground. I have been in undergound coal mines where the seam thickness was eleven or twelve feet, and those seemed like caverns compared to the many mines I worked in. I was always grateful to stand to the full height of my 5/ 10".
Richard Mourdock the mine im at runs all development drifts 16’x16’, but our production kinda ballrooms out once we hit the ore (up to 20’-24’ wide by about 21’ tall, or as small as 12’x12’, depending on how wide and tall engineering/geology dictates) since we mine random room and pillar. All of the equipment we run is low profile to a degree. I think the 9 yard muckers we have are about 11-12 feet tall iirc. Still considerably larger than coal. Much respect to you man, I would not be a fan of coal whatsoever. Hats off to you.
@@johnnyd7420 Respect right back to you John. Geology gave me a great career and lots of time underground. The only one that really, really bothered me was when I showed up once for a mine inspection in Southern West Virginia and along with the cap lamp they handed me knee and elbow pads. In Alabama a few times it was so "wet" water came in over the top of my nearly knee high boots.. that didn't bother me, but I wasn't going to go crawling on my belly like a reptile. Something satisfying about "creating" wealth in the economy by bringing raw materials to the surface in energy or metals.
I salute you and your jobs. You are the real hero. Please take very care of you and the family.
Not so sure about coal but I have HUGE Respect for these hard working and dedicated men - May God Bless them and I pray they Stay Safe !
1:55 this guy is what a true American dedicated man should be like
true, minus the trump support
Hi work at the mine I'm fitter in sa
Hoss Boi trump 2020
Email me for job plz .tshepongoma12@gmail.com or call me at 0607631010
@@hossboi52 it's always the uneducated ones who support him
Hats off, respect to these lads, take’s a special kind of man to do this job.
@Sut Nack do you know any coal miners? Are you a miner? have you ever been underground for 12 hours a day for 2 weeks straight? Come home and your whole Body hurts? I work in the mines as a heavy equipment mechanic, And I can tell you that from experience, that I could not do what those guys do everyday. You see a lot of older miners in this trade, few young lads, because they don’t want to do the work. One of my family members is a medical practitioner, who sees a lot of miners and some are beat. Coal mines are some of the most dangerous mines in the world as coal is a hydrocarbon. Sure, technology has advanced to make their job easier, but it’s the same dam old job of mining coal my friend, its not easy. My motion of respect towards these gentlemen is based of respect, I am not just some keyboard warrior who sits behind the screen, I’ll tell you how it is. I know a few coal miners, even some who are retired. They are some of the hardest working people I know and have ever met, big family men, who broke their backs providing for those they love. I dam well hope one day to reach their tenacity and selflessness. I don’t know you, and I ain’t going to sit here and argue because it’s really not worth my time. In the future, refrain from insensitive replies if you are not educated on the subject. Cheers,
I have nothing but respect for these guys!
Hats off. Huge respect. Few people work as hard as these guys
I work in hard rock mine. I take my hat off these guys. Good job
As a welsh man, it saddens me to see our coal industry turn to dust.
theres other jobs
Do you mean Welch by any chance?
The prosperity and comfort of most modern nations has coal miners to thank.
North America’s first railroad and first commercial coal mines are just a short walk from my mailbox (have found old mining equipment scraps on my land) and were used to power the industry of the 13 colonies, provide coke for manufacturing of weapons and flint/gunpowder for the Revolutionary War, were the primary source of coal & coke for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and for many decades heated the homes of the north east.
Hundreds lost their lives in numerous explosions and accidents, their dangerous & burdensome work powered the industry that enabled the birth the United States.
I have worked in coal that low. ran a double boom fletcher roof bolting machine like the one shown in video. working on your knees for 8 or 10 hours takes a toll on them. went into surgery at 8 am came out of surgery 12 noon with both knees replaced. put me out of coal mining at an early age. i guess you could say 33 years was long enough.
unfortunate it doesnt sound worth it
After I graduated from high school in 1977 I moved to Georgia and started work with a company that installed highlines. 500 kv towers.
If I had it all to do over I would have joined the military. Just like the coal mining the military couldn’t have been any tougher. I suppose to each his own.
They are brave souls and hard working men...be safe guys wherever you are. 🙏
i live in Preston county in North central West Virginia near Morgantown, home of WVU and the Mountaineers. Im a 5th generation underground coal miner, but the last 15 year went from 10 mines in the area to maybe 4 spread over a large distance, im 31 and got injured a fw years ago but my dad still works at a mine called 4 West near Mount Morris PA which is about 20 minutes north of Morgantown, i have and my dad has worked with guys that travel up here from southern WV just to do what theyve always done , and thats be an underground coal miner, hopefully it will pick up again, I have about 5 years experience because honestly after high school i wanted to do something else, i got to my journeyman electrician license and went to some college but finally ended up underground until i got hurt. I can run scoop on the section and outby, bolt a little and run buggy or shuttle car, i have even had my own belt lines to care for, th only thing i cant do it run the miner, i have a little but not enough to do anything with it lol..growing up here i remember when i was 10 around 96 there were about 8 maybe 10 small mines running coal just in Preston county alone, oer the next 10 years went to 2 now theres none, I hae some great memories going to the mines when i was a kid, with my dad and even my pap, i have a few pictures i found of me riding in the loader, loading coal trucks with my pap. Its just strange growing up through all that to now where its basically gone, dad drives an hour and 25 or 30 minutes to work and the last mine i was at was 2 hours one way, 9 hour shifts, 6 days a week
So, are you opposed to technology or the fact that coal is being pushed out by politicians sometimes regardless of technology? I feel like it is a little if both. Environmentalists need to realize people grew up in coal mines and start from there when transitioning people rather than start with green is the way to go, blah, blah, blah.
I remember seeing a coal truck in Southern Ohio in the 1990s. I knew of Ohio coal mining because both maternal grandparents were from Southern Ohio. I came across people who thought that coal mining was a thing of the past in Ohio. That was in the 1990s. When I saw the coal truck in Ohio, I was astonished. This video made me more so. When my grandparents were children, Ohio had a lot more coal mining. M grandpa told me a little about it.
I like how nobody pays respect for The Camara guy that also went with them
the camera guy spent a tiny fraction under those conditions relative to the miners, and conditions were probably at the best for the film crew to decide to do that. Coal miners have to swallow their heart every day, and decide if it is worth it when conditions are problematic. or not feed their families
Nobody cares man.
I bet the camera man wasn’t looking for a compliment, so just let it ride.
I’ve worked in the manufacturing industry for four years so I know what you mean that you have to want to be there. But working underground in confined spaces like that. That’s a whole different breed of man! Respect! 👍
Underground limestone miner here not even close to the world you guys work in! Much respect ........ awesome
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Hats off to you all coal miners. America
Wish the best for a dying bread of work and the families it supports. I am with the coal miners!
Bread? Like wonder bread?
I’ve got a grandson who worked in the coal mines here in pa. He loved his job and did very well until that stinkin Obama took the coal jobs away . Now he lives in Kentucky still doing what he loves thanks to president Trump. I also love coal and the wonderful heat it gives you in winter. God bless the miners and the dangerous work they do.
May God bless these courageous and humble men and may He grant them provisions and security evermore. amen
Thank you for running this. I work at a coal burning power plant in southern Illinois, but our coal comes from open pit mines in Wyoming because it is low sulfur coal. A colleague of our used to work in an Illinois underground coal mine and I wondered what it looked like way down there so I looked this up. I really appreciate seeing and hearing from the people who keep our country powered up with me. Thanks much
Fills me with dread just watching you. You have my greatest respect and admiration. You are the bravest of the brave.
God bless these hard working guys.
HA - there is no "god".
Im waaaayy too claustrophobic for this. cant believe these guys. respect.
I'm not going to lie, watching videos like these where I can see people working at steel mills and coal mines, makes me want to work there. I know pay is so-so for the type of work you have to do and the risks involved but it's cool to be around all that heavy machinery, deep inside the earth
Great People. Thanks. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I thank God I don’t have to do that kind of work. Good olde boys keeping lights on for us all. Thanks gents!
God bless you for all you do
I live near this place and there was 2 rosebud mines in the town next to the town I live in Amsterdam Ohio, which was a coal mining town that prospered in the 20’s-60’s and then the mine shut down and this town went from around 1,000 people to now 400 the coal mining business not only creates jobs but creates towns and since the coal mines are dying towns are dying too
I worked with some of the miners from the jensey mine .
I had an ACL reconstructive surgery and if I had to crawl on my knees everyday I'd wanna blow my brains out... nothing but respect to these real Americans
I used to work in a coal mine where the seam height was 600mm, (2'). Once you got used to it, it was no different to any other job.
Now these are real men. Honor and family ❤ May God keep them safe and give them a long fulfilling life 🙏
Gym mens not real men
I have a lot of respect for coal miners.
Huge respect to these guys and the industry, sad what’s happening to the industry right now with the current administration
Coal mining is damaging our planet
@@osmomosis9216 You seen how they mine for cobalt and lithium for your green energy bullshit?
@@osmomosis9216 what isn’t?
Must be so odd to go from coal mining to normal everyday life . . . it's such a dichotomy and a little bit poetic that a job that's so confining can provide so much freedom
To Jay Mata you got that exactly ,"a dichotomy",but not a contradiction in terms a lot of individual initiative & freedom to innovate.
Thank you for your hard work miners.
I heard stories as a kid my hat goes off to you guys...
I have nothing but absolute respect for all these hard workers who give it their all every single day!. And I know that I couldn't do this work so let's all show some love and appreciation for all who do!. 🙏🙏🍻
I'm not a miner but I've been in an old fireclay mine that had about a 4ft roof, its very hard on your body being in cramped conditions for any length of time let alone working in them all day, you'd need to be pretty tough to last long at that.
I have a question you may be able to answer. Is there a reason the form factor of the mine is designed with such a low ceiling? I was shocked to see the decline, the vehicles, and the drifts they were working in. Everything was "flat"
@@abandoned-mines-novascotia Coal is often in quite a narrow seam, a foot or two thick, it wouldn't be economically viable to remove more material than is absolutely necessary to get at the coal.
@@davidmersh7221 yeah exactly so just bum boys for big corporation
Paaah
I got the black lung.
Paaah, I got the Zoolander reference.
Zoolander
Arthur Morgan had that.
@@joemengler1666 lol
@@joemengler1666 used to hate when micah used to say dat
My dad ran the shack at Peabody No 9 South where my grandpa was the boss. They called him Budshack. My uncle was a boss at Buckingham Coal's mine in Glouster. My house is built on recreation land.
Not all heroes wear a cape...... to all the women out there who think men have a charmed life and live on 'Easy Street' - fancy a slice of that? No, I didn't think so. If you don't get killed you'll probably get injured and/ or ill in the long term. My hat goes off to all these unsung heroes who quietly get on with keeping the lights burning......👏👏👏
Respect. Labour jobs are very rewarding.
www.peoplesworld.org/article/black-lung-fund-for-miners-running-dry-after-gop-cuts-coal-company-tax/
Coal miners are a special breed of men . Hard work they choose to do .
Its dangerous and takes its toll on their bodies over time .
I was born and raised a coal miners child and so very proud of my dad for all the sacrifices he made for our family just like the men in this video. God Bless You All and the mighty wings of God protect you and your precious family's.
Did "god" come around for dinner last night? HA - superstitious BULLSHIT.
@@geneva760 God will come to dinner if you in invite his presence . God is and always has been the Great I Am he want come to dinner uninvited. God loves you one day in your life you will find comfort in the love of God !
There is no god if people have to kill themselves like this to survive. What a dreadful existence, it's nothing to be proud of or look up to.
@@thebrantfordrailfan it's a choose each miner makes. The good lord don't make people wrk in the mines . Yes it's hard my family has suffered the health affects but by choose. My dad is 86 with blk lung bad back but retired with good health care and dosen't regret a day of his wrk. If you desire to blame God that's your right. God spared members of my family from death under ground and I thank God for his love care . I wish the best for you and your family
These people are the definition of hard workers. This work environment is extremely dangerous, hazardous and tough. Massive respect to all miners, thank you all!
My invention shuts down coal mines.
I have a family member that lives about 2 miles from that mine, I remember hunting in the land that the mine is built on before it was there
And not one of these *men* are "confused" about which bathroom to use.